Tony Hateley

[JUAN PABLO]

RIP

I would have loved to see that 5-5 game with spurs

[dave shelley]

The miss by Alan Deakin in the last couple of minutes would have been the comeback of all times if he'd have hit it hard enough and not allowed a defender to get back and clear it off the line.  Ah well, cest la vie.

[E I Adio]

He was a massive hero of mine even though I never saw play for us. I remember feeling quite depressed when I was told that we had sold him for a record breaking transfer fee.

My first game at VP was 27 DEc 1966 v Sunderland. This is the team that played (note: no centre forward)

Colin Withers
Right back Mick Wright
Defender Keith Bradley
Left back Charlie Aitken
Centre half John Sleeuwenhoek
Midfielder Bobby Park
Midfielder Lew Chatterley
Wing half Dave Pountney
Outside right Johnny MacLeod
Winger Tony Scott
Inside forward Peter Broadbent

Chatterley, normally a centre-half ,was centre-forward around that time.

Yes, Lew Chatterley, whose usual position was centre half, was playing emergency CF at the time. When we sold Tony Hateley we went out and bought John Woodward from Stoke (I think) to replace him. He was almost immediately crocked for a very long time - more than a season I think, which left us without a CF.

I will never forget the winning goal he scored against Man U at VP. I think we crossed the halfway line about twice during the game and scored on both occasions. Probably the most one sided match I've ever seen. It was a blessing that possession stats hadn't been invented in those days.

[PGW]

For some reason he was never truly appreciated by our fans. "If he scored two we'd complain he hadn't got three" was one comment.

This is true. He missed as many as he scored and got quite a lot of stick from the fans. I remember this particularly when we went out of the FA Cup to Aldershot in 1964. Didn't he miss a penalty in this tie? Yet his scoring record speaks for itself (86 in 148). His 4 goals in the remarkable 5-5 draw at WHL have already been mentioned, but I think my own favourite Hateley performance was the 2 goals in a comprehensive 4-0 defeat of Man U in 1963. We certainly missed him after he went to Chelsea, and we were relegated that season.
RIP, Tony.

The game v Man U game was one of my all time memories of 'big Tone'.....a chilly late November day capped by Denis Law getting sent off for kicking Alan Deakin. Law said after the game that he was fed up of being kicked throughout the game by him.........Alan Deakin i ask you!!! He wasn't nicknamed 'Doris' due to his hard man skills!!!

[Holte132]

I see that SSN are carrying the news of his death, but mentioning only that he played for Liverpool and Chelsea.

[martin o`who??]

Thank`s Tony, rest in peace big fella.

[Olneythelonely]

Match of the Day called him a "former Aston Villa striker, who also played for Chelsea and Liverpool. Fuck Sky.

RIP Tony. Before my time but my Dad loved you.

[stevenavfc]

He was a VILLA player who ended up at chelsea & liverpool, nothing before or after B6 matters.
Started my lifetime of misery with the 3 FA cup games against Wolves in 65
Rest easy Tony

[PeterWithesShin]

I wonder if someone really did shout "battle for your pride" when we were 5-1 down at WHL.

[Steve R]

RIP Big Tone. 72 is no age at all.

[Ron Manager]

RIP

I would have loved to see that 5-5 game with spurs

You can see bits of it at ITN SOURCE web site. Two by Big Tone and two by Greavsie. The major goalscorers in the top flight that season.

Type in Spurs v Villa.

For anyone who is interested there is also a clip of Villa v Spurs in 61 showing a Stan'The Wham' Lynn penalty. We lost 2-1!

[JUAN PABLO]

RIP

I would have loved to see that 5-5 game with spurs

You can see bits of it at ITN SOURCE web site. Two by Big Tone and two by Greavsie. The major goalscorers in the top flight that season.

Type in Spurs v Villa.

Cheers Ron .  going to do now.

[dcdavecollett]

I agree that the media bias against us is obvious -but then we compound this by doing it ourselves!!

Look at the obituary for Tony on the official website. The accompanying picture is of Big Tony -in a Liverpool top!!!

Absolutely unbelievable!

And if anyone is wondering, yes, my piss is boiling!

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

For some reason he was never truly appreciated by our fans. "If he scored two we'd complain he hadn't got three" was one comment.

This is true. He missed as many as he scored and got quite a lot of stick from the fans. I remember this particularly when we went out of the FA Cup to Aldershot in 1964. Didn't he miss a penalty in this tie? Yet his scoring record speaks for itself (86 in 148). His 4 goals in the remarkable 5-5 draw at WHL have already been mentioned, but I think my own favourite Hateley performance was the 2 goals in a comprehensive 4-0 defeat of Man U in 1963. We certainly missed him after he went to Chelsea, and we were relegated that season.
RIP, Tony.

The game v Man U game was one of my all time memories of 'big Tone'.....a chilly late November day capped by Denis Law getting sent off for kicking Alan Deakin. Law said after the game that he was fed up of being kicked throughout the game by him.........Alan Deakin i ask you!!! He wasn't nicknamed 'Doris' due to his hard man skills!!!

Mate of mine quite recently asked Law about that sending off - he basically kicked Alan Deakin in the head while Deakin was on the floor! Law admitted he'd been invited out that night to a big do in Manchester, and did something really stupid that he knew would get him sent off so he could leave early to get to the gig!
Whether that's the truth or not, it makes for an interesting reason/excuse!

[IFWaters]

BBC Website omitted us in title of its tribute page. F*** the Been.
Match of the Day called him a "former Aston Villa striker, who also played for Chelsea and Liverpool. Fuck Sky.

RIP Tony. Before my time but my Dad loved you.